Incentive cards and behaviour change in London

This report by the Young Foundation as part of the London Collaborative was commissioned by Capital Ambition. It considers the opportunities to influence the behaviour of Londoners though a pan‐London smart card which is currently subject to a wider feasibility study.

Specifically we have explored the theory of behaviour change, the evidence from elsewhere of the success of incentive cards and the appetite amongst policy makers and practitioners in London for developing a behaviour change scheme as part of the proposed London Card.

The evidence for using incentives and incentive cards to change behaviour is both thin and uneven. However, targeted at specific groups, with incentives used at the right time, there is the opportunity to drive more positive choices amongst citizens specifically in the area of active living. We also conclude there is potentially a small more general role for the London Card to promote behaviours by association, branding and discounts.